Tian Dou City, Jiang Nannan

Tian Dou City, Jiang Nannan

Huo Yuhao glanced over the three options, quickly analyzed the quests and rewards, and directly chose the third.

He remembered that in Doupo, medicine cauldrons were also ranked. The more fire vents a cauldron had, the higher its grade.

The Two-Mouth Cauldron counted as a low-grade medicine cauldron. Xiao Yan had used this kind of cauldron in his early days. For Huo Yuhao, it was enough as long as it worked. He did not have high demands, and the pills he needed to refine were only second-grade anyway.

He would make do with the rewarded medicine cauldron for now, then buy some metal later and forge one himself.

Huo Yuhao considered it for a moment. "Xiao Xiao, can I try using your Soul Suppressing Cauldron Martial Soul to see whether I can refine pills?"

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Xiao agreed. "Sure, but you have to make sure Wang Dong and I get all the grilled skewers we want."

"No problem." Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile.

Afterward, Huo Yuhao sold grilled skewers for a while. Once he felt he had replenished enough funds—enough for his trip to the Far North Land—he stopped selling and packed up the remaining skewers. "These should be enough for you two, right?"

Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao leaned forward slightly and roughly checked the amount. Both nodded in satisfaction. "Ha, enough to eat."

After packing up his stall, Huo Yuhao found a Soul Master hotel in Shrek City. Compared to an ordinary inn, it was merely more spacious and lavishly furnished.

The three entered a hotel room, and Xiao Xiao released her Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron Martial Soul.

"Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron, combine." Xiao Xiao gave a soft shout. The three strange little cauldrons merged into one larger, taller, wider cauldron.

"Huo Yuhao, use it without worry. When my Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron is in its three-cauldron-as-one state, its defense and resistance are definitely far stronger than ordinary metal."

"I'm going to eat skewers." Xiao Xiao happily clapped her hands, then ran over to sit with Wang Dong at the round redwood table and began eating grilled skewers.

Huo Yuhao took out all the medicinal ingredients and released Purple Fire.

For his first attempt at pill refinement, he would first try using Purple Fire. Purple Fire did not carry the same overwhelming aura as Heavenly Flames, so within a Soul Master hotel, it would pass for the normal aura of a Soul Master cultivating. Besides, he was only refining second-grade pills.

Seeing the purple flames emerge from Huo Yuhao's palm, Wang Dong asked curiously, "Huo Yuhao, is this purple fire your Martial Soul?"

"More or less. It's a special ability that comes with my Martial Soul." Huo Yuhao came up with an explanation.

"Oh." Wang Dong nodded, half-understanding, and continued eating grilled skewers with Xiao Xiao.

Huo Yuhao recalled the principles of the Alchemy Art he had read the previous night.

In principle, Fire Attribute and wood attribute were needed as catalysts, but he possessed the Mark of Life formed from Gold of Life, which held an even stronger Life Aura than a wood attribute.

Electrolux's voice rang out in Huo Yuhao's mind. "Yuhao, when you refine the pills later, you will mainly be responsible for controlling the heat and adding the medicinal ingredients."

"While you refine, I will add a trace of the Mark of Life's aura. That will raise the success rate."

"Alright, Old Yi." Huo Yuhao nodded in reply.

He prepared to refine the highly practical Soul Return Pill. Following its refinement principles, he divided the medicinal ingredients according to their proportions to prevent adding too much or too little during the process.

As the medicinal ingredients were tossed into the Soul Suppressing Cauldron and Purple Fire surged within it, Huo Yuhao and Old Yi began their first collaborative pill refinement.

Several hours later, a faint fragrance wafted out.

Under the precise control of Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes Martial Soul, his first pill refinement with Old Yi unexpectedly succeeded.

With a thought, Huo Yuhao withdrew Purple Fire. Guided by Soul Power, seven pale-green pills flew out of the cauldron.

Option Quest completed. Reward: Medicine Cauldron

The next second, a Pill Furnace with two fire vents appeared inside his Ring of Holding.

Xiao Xiao paused mid-bite. "Did it succeed?"

"Mm." Huo Yuhao nodded and held out four pale-green pills in his palm.

"These four pills are for you. They're called Soul Return Pills, and they can restore Soul Power after being consumed."

"Oh, thank you." Xiao Xiao did not refuse and accepted the four pills.

Wang Dong's eyes lit up. "Xiao Xiao, I flew you around for a hundred laps several times. It's time you gave me something in return."

"W-what?" Xiao Xiao's cheeks flushed. She thought Wang Dong had finally come around and wanted to use this as an excuse to take advantage of her.

"We split these four pills equally."

Wang Dong's utterly straight-man words made Xiao Xiao angry. She puffed out her cheeks. "I'll think about it!"

"I'll bring you breakfast for a week. Is that enough, Xiao Xiao?"

"Deal!"

Huo Yuhao then bid the two farewell. Wang Dong could not help asking, "Huo Yuhao, will you continue setting up your barbecue stall tomorrow?"

"Probably not."

Huo Yuhao answered. The funds spent on medicinal ingredients had already been replenished. As for Shrek City, may its green waters flow on forever—until they met again.

Tonight, he would set out. His destination: the Far North Land.

The Far North Land lay on the northern frontier of the Heaven Dou Empire. The relatively better route was to pass through the Heaven Dou Empire.

Several days later, outside Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire.

A cargo carriage belonging to a merchant convoy was parked by the main road outside the city.

"Little Brother Huo, we're here."

Hearing the voice, Huo Yuhao jumped down from the carriage, paid the fare, and prepared to head through the city gates.

Just then, from an inconspicuous cargo carriage behind him, a young girl with orange hair and a beautiful woman who looked gentle and refined but had a sickly pale complexion slowly emerged from the compartment piled with goods.

Huo Yuhao had not paid them any attention, but the beautiful woman's weak words made him freeze.

"Nannan, maybe we should forget it. We've spent several months seeing doctors in the previous city, but my symptoms still haven't eased... Mom doesn't want to drag you down."

The girl's eyes reddened, and her orange hair clung messily to her forehead and cheeks from her tears. "Mom, I'll definitely cure your illness. Definitely..."

A trace of resolve flashed through her solemn eyes. If Heaven Dou City could not cure her mother either, then the people from the Xuan Ming Sect had once intentionally or unintentionally revealed certain information to her...

(PS: Xu San Shi's coming-of-age ceremony was at fifteen, and the first Soul Master Competition's Reserve Team required participants to be no older than fifteen. Going by that timeline, I'll write it as around the start of a semester.)

On a small path beside Sea God Lake at Shrek Academy.

"Xiao Ya, I've already told the school teacher, Xuanzu Mu En, about helping you obtain a Soul Ring with a life attribute."

Bei Bei and Tang Ya walked side by side, discussing where Tang Ya could obtain a Soul Ring.

Tang Ya's expression brightened. "What did Teacher say?"

Bei Bei replied gently, "Some senior brothers and sisters from the Inner Court are also preparing to obtain Soul Rings. Teacher said we can go with them when the time comes. I also heard that Elder will personally lead the team this time."

"Xiao Ya, you might not know who Elder is. He is a highly respected and authoritative Elder of our academy's Sea God Pavilion. He is extremely powerful and can fully ensure our safety."

Tang Ya smiled. "Thank you, Bei Bei."

At that moment, Bei Bei seemed to remember something. "Before the break, Xu San Shi said his family was arranging some kind of awakening ceremony for him. He said his strength would definitely soar this semester and that he'd pin me down and beat me up."

"But I still haven't seen him return to school. Hey, Xiao Ya, has your roommate returned?"

"Nannan?"

Tang Ya was also quite puzzled, concern appearing on her face. "During last semester's break, Nannan said her mother was seriously ill. I heard she had already taken her mother to several cities for treatment, but there was still no improvement..."